


In Loco Parentis

by ProtoNeoRomantic



Series: Patch Works [23]
Category: Buffy the Vampire Slayer
Genre: Crisis, Gen, Help, POV Minor Character, Willow Roseberg - Freeform
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-04-06
Updated: 2014-04-06
Packaged: 2018-01-18 08:41:14
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 524
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1421869
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ProtoNeoRomantic/pseuds/ProtoNeoRomantic
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>In the process of discussing what to do to help Willow, Mr. Miller may be developing second thoughts about the whole 'Buffy can take care of herself' theory.</p>
            </blockquote>





	In Loco Parentis

**Author's Note:**

  * Inspired by [Who Do You Think You Are?](https://archiveofourown.org/works/1235281) by [ProtoNeoRomantic](https://archiveofourown.org/users/ProtoNeoRomantic/pseuds/ProtoNeoRomantic). 



Buffy hung around outside the locked computer lab until well after the first bell. The hallway was filling up with kids who kept asking her why Willow wasn’t there to unlock the door. “I wish I knew,” Buffy told them worriedly. She had to work very hard at ignoring the mumbled follow on comments about her 'psycho friends' that she wasn’t supposed to have heard.

At last, about a minute before eight, Snyder came along with the keys. He was deep in a heated discussion with Mr. Miller, which he continued even while unlocking the door. The gist was that Miller had sent Willow home sick, with such assurances of an excused absence that Snyder could hardly justify punishing her or even demanding documentation. “It wasn’t your place to make that decision!” he declared at one point, dressing Miller down as if he’d forgotten they were no longer alone in his office, intimating that he could still be disciplined if Willow couldn’t and coming dangerously close to suggesting that the whole faculty was so out of line that he had to be on guard against open revolt. “Respect for authority,” he said, sweeping the knot of teenagers with his eyes and landing on Buffy, “is the only thing that separates us from  _ them _ .”

Miller took his lumps with quiet grace, excusing himself with thirty seconds to spare. “Come along, Ms. Summers,” he advised all grave on top and amused underneath, which was totally his style, “if _you're_ late I’ll _have_ to give you detention.”

“What’s the matter with Willow?” Buffy asked worriedly the second they were out of Snyder’s hearing. 

Mr. Miller gave her a look that was difficult to read, maybe trying to read her. “What you already know,” he said, “but she’s getting worse.”

“She shouldn’t be alone,” Buffy worried.

“She shouldn’t be here,” Miller pointed out reasonably. The bell rang. They ignored it, stopping five feet short of the classroom to talk in the now empty hallway. 

“I don’t know what to do for her,” Buffy said. “Giles doesn’t think the Council shrink will see her ‘cause she’s not part of their whole ancient destiny deal, and--” Buffy stopped, embarrassed. She was telling this guy things she’d forgotten he didn’t know. 

Greg smiled ironically behind his mustache. He didn’t know exactly what the girl was talking about, but it was obviously supposed to be a secret.  Apparently she was no better at hiding her mystical secrets than personal ones. “Ms. Summers,” he said, “you’ll find in life that it pays to think carefully before saying anything important. Fortunately, you _can_ trust me, but that’s not necessarily something you can assume about someone just because they present themselves as a friend. It seems that you have real enemies in this world. You ought to be more careful to protect yourself.”

“I... think we’d better get to class,” she said, avoiding his eyes, seeming to take his comments in an entirely different sense than he’d meant them. She suddenly seemed very much like a kid and not at all like a young woman too strong and self-determined to need any looking out for. 

 

**Author's Note:**

> This follows pretty closely (and fairly consistently) after "Never Better"


End file.
